The invention is in the field of electrical component handling wherein a line of components is fed vibrationally to present a front component to a pick-up station at which the component is removed from the vibratory feeder by means of a vacuum spindle or the like.
A typical component being so handled often times has "flashing" around the body thereof, with such flashing resulting from the moldable material that gets into the parting line along which two mold halves are separated after molding of the component body is complete. Thus, flashing or a flange can protrude outwardly from the body of the component and interfere with proper extraction of the component from the pick-up station of the feeder. For instance, it is sometimes the case that the horizontally protruding flange of the component at the pick-up station is overlapped by the horizontally protruding flange or flashing of the following component so that the flashing of the following component interferes with proper extraction of the component at the pick-up station by a vacuum spindle or the like.
Additionally, even when the components do not have such a "flashing", the horizontal pressure applied to the lead component, by the following line of components which are being vibratorally fed to the pick-up station, may be sufficient to interfere with proper extraction of the component by a vacuum pick-up nozzle.
Still further, the constant, although small, vibration of a component against the stop means while at the pick-up station can cause inaccuracies in the pick-up of some components and result in corresponding inaccuracies during subsequent placement of the component onto a circuit board.
Thus, it is an object of the instant invention to eliminate or reduce the effects of such vibration or hammering on the component that is in the pick-up station.
Additionally, it is an object of the invention to eliminate problems in proper extraction of the component from the pick-up station which are caused by friction and/or flashing protruding from the component body.
Still further, it is an object of the invention to provide an additional degree of control over the component at the pick-up station until contact of the vacuum spindle with the component.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed disclosure of the invention which follows.